Battery test system with camera

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure relates to a battery test system for a vehicle that includes a camera configured to capture an image of a vehicle identification number located on the vehicle, the camera being coupled to a processor which determines characters of the vehicle identification number from the image of the camera and correlates the characters of the vehicle identification number to a vehicle identification number database to receive battery parameters for the vehicle, a battery tester that is removably connected to terminals of a battery of the vehicle and configured to receive battery test results, and a display which conveys information relating to the battery parameters and the battery test results.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority from and the benefit of U.S.Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/131,714, filed Mar. 11, 2015,entitled “BATTERY COLD CRANKING AMPS IDENTIFIER FROM VEHICLEIDENTIFICATION NUMBER (VIN),” which is hereby incorporated by referencein its entirety for all purposes.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates generally to an automotive battery testsystem that includes a camera.

This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects ofart that may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure,which are described below. This discussion is believed to be helpful inproviding the reader with background information to facilitate a betterunderstanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure.Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to beread in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.

It may be desirable to test batteries to determine a condition (e.g., ahealth) of a tested battery. For example, battery test systems may becoupled to a battery and configured to provide information related tothe health of the battery. In some cases, a tester (e.g., an operatorperforming the test) may input information specific to the batteryundergoing the test. Unfortunately, determining and inputting suchinformation into a test device may be time consuming and/or may beperformed inaccurately.

SUMMARY

A summary of certain embodiments disclosed herein is set forth below. Itshould be understood that these aspects are presented merely to providethe reader with a brief summary of certain embodiments and that theseaspects are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Indeed,this disclosure may encompass a variety of aspects that may not be setforth below.

The present disclosure relates to a battery test system for a vehiclethat includes a camera configured to capture an image of a vehicleidentification number located on the vehicle, the camera being coupledto a processor which determines characters of the vehicle identificationnumber from the image of the camera and correlates the characters of thevehicle identification number to a vehicle identification numberdatabase to receive battery parameters for the vehicle, a battery testerthat is removably connected to terminals of a battery of the vehicle andconfigured to receive battery test results, and a display which conveysinformation relating to the battery parameters and the battery testresults.

The present disclosure also relates to a method of testing a battery fora vehicle that includes capturing an image of a vehicle identificationnumber of the vehicle using a camera, processing the image of thevehicle identification number to determine characters of the vehicleidentification number, comparing the characters of the vehicleidentification number to a vehicle identification number database todetermine battery parameters of the vehicle, testing the battery todetermine battery test results, and displaying the battery test resultsand the battery parameters.

DRAWINGS

Various aspects of this disclosure may be better understood upon readingthe following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle having a battery to providepower for various components of the vehicle, in accordance with anaspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a schematic of an embodiment of a battery test system that maybe utilized to capture an image of a vehicle identification number andtest the battery of FIG. 1, in accordance with an aspect of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the battery test system ofFIG. 2 having an internal vehicle identification number database, inaccordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the battery test system ofFIGS. 2 and 3 that utilizes an external vehicle identification numberdatabase, in accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a flow chart of embodiments of a display ofthe battery test system of FIGS. 2-4 throughout a battery test, inaccordance with an aspect of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a method that may be performed by thebattery test system of FIGS. 2-5 to collect battery test parameters andconduct a battery test, in accordance with an aspect of the presentdisclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

One or more specific embodiments will be described below. In an effortto provide a concise description of these embodiments, not all featuresof an actual implementation are described in the specification. Itshould be appreciated that in the development of any such actualimplementation, as in any engineering or design project, numerousimplementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve thedevelopers' specific goals, such as compliance with system-related andbusiness-related constraints, which may vary from one implementation toanother. Moreover, it should be appreciated that such a developmenteffort might be complex and time consuming, but would nevertheless be aroutine undertaking of design, fabrication, and manufacture for those ofordinary skill having the benefit of this disclosure.

Although advancements in battery technology continue to prolong lifespans of batteries, the operating life of a battery is finite.Accordingly, battery test systems may be utilized to determine anoperating status (e.g., health) of a battery, thereby providing avehicle owner with an indication as to how much longer the battery maycontinue to provide sufficient power to the vehicle (or vehiclecomponents). Battery test systems may include coupling devices thatestablish an electrical connection with a battery (e.g., via terminalsof the battery), such that the battery test system may determine variousparameters (e.g., original equipment manufacturer (OEM) batteryparameters) of the battery. In some cases, the tester (e.g., an operatorperforming the test) may be prompted to input information regarding thevehicle and/or the battery. However, a battery may be located under ahood of the vehicle, in a trunk of the vehicle, under a seat of thevehicle, secured within the vehicle using a fastening device (e.g., amounting bracket), or otherwise positioned in the vehicle such that atleast a portion of the battery may not be visible without disassemblinga component of the vehicle (e.g., the fastening device). Additionally,manually inputting vehicle and/or battery information may be timeconsuming and subject to inadvertent error.

It is now recognized that it may be desirable to automatically retrievevehicle and/or battery information without physically viewing orcontacting the battery and without manually inputting battery parameters(e.g., original equipment manufacturer parameters, cold cranking amps(CCA), cranking amps (CA), and/or another battery rating) into thebattery test system. In accordance with embodiments of the presentdisclosure, a battery test system may include a camera that may beutilized to capture an image of a vehicle identification number (VIN).The VIN may be a unique set of characters (e.g., letters and numerals)used to identify a particular vehicle. Additionally, the VIN may includeinformation specific to the particular vehicle in which it resides. Forexample, the VIN may specify a manufacturer of the vehicle (e.g., make),a manufacture location, a model of the vehicle, a body style of thevehicle, a type of vehicle, an engine type of the vehicle, a year ofmanufacture, and/or information related to vehicle components (e.g., thebattery).

A battery test system that captures the VIN of a vehicle may retrieveinformation that enables the battery test system to automaticallyretrieve battery parameters (e.g., original equipment manufacturerbattery parameters) and compare the battery parameters with battery testresults. For example, the battery test system may be configured tocompare the captured VIN to a VIN database, which may provide thebattery parameters specific to the battery of the vehicle associatedwith the captured VIN. Such battery parameters may include minimumbattery performance criteria specified by an Original EquipmentManufacturer (OEM) of the battery, for example. Accordingly, the batteryparameters may be automatically input into the battery test system, andthe battery test may be performed to compare the battery test results tothe battery parameters. Such a battery test system may determine thebattery parameters quickly and accurately, thereby enabling a tester toperform battery tests with enhanced efficiently.

To help illustrate the manner in which the present embodiments may beused in a system, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of abattery test system 5 with a camera 8 being utilized with a vehicle 10.As shown in the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 1, the vehicle includes abattery 12. The battery 12 may be placed under the hood of the vehicle10 (e.g., as illustrated), in a trunk of the vehicle, under a seat ofthe vehicle, secured within the vehicle using a fastening device (e.g.,a mounting bracket), or otherwise positioned in the vehicle such that atleast a portion of the battery may not be visible without disassemblinga component of the vehicle (e.g., the fastening device). In certainembodiments, the battery 12 may be a lead-acid battery.

In some embodiments, the battery 12 may supply power to components ofthe vehicle's electrical system, which may include radiator coolingfans, climate control systems, electric power steering systems, activesuspension systems, auto park systems, electric oil pumps, electricsuper/turbochargers, electric water pumps, heated windscreen/defrosters,window lift motors, vanity lights, tire pressure monitoring systems,sunroof motor controls, power seats, alarm systems, infotainmentsystems, navigation features, lane departure warning systems, electricparking brakes, external lights, or any combination thereof.

As discussed above, the battery 12 may be subject to a finite operatinglife, such that it may be desirable to test the battery 12 to obtain anindication as to how much longer the battery 12 may operate at apredetermined level. For example, a battery test system 5 may beutilized to indicate a status or health of the battery 12 (e.g., bycomparing battery parameters to battery test results). In some cases, atleast a portion of the battery 12 may not be visible to a tester (e.g.,an operator performing the test) and/or the tester may input parametersof the battery 12 into the battery test system 5 incorrectly.Accordingly, it is now recognized that the battery test system 5 mayinclude a camera 8 that may be utilized to capture a vehicleidentification number (VIN) of the vehicle 10 associated with thebattery 12 to be tested.

For example, FIG. 2 is a schematic of an embodiment of a battery testsystem 40 that may be utilized to capture an image of a vehicle's VIN44. As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the battery test system 40may include a camera 42 that may capture (and process) the VIN 44 todetermine properties of the vehicle 10 (e.g., the battery). The camera42 may be any optical device that may store and/or transmit a recordedimage (e.g., the VIN 44). For example, the camera 42 may include adigital camera that may capture the recorded image (e.g., the VIN 44),transmit the recorded image, process the recorded image, and/or storethe recorded image for later reproduction.

In some embodiments, the VIN 44 may be a simple bar code that includes aseries of characters 46 (e.g., letters and numerals) that are unique tothe vehicle 10 of the battery 12 to be tested. In some embodiments, thecharacters 46 may also be indicative of vehicle information such as amanufacturer of the vehicle (e.g., make), a manufacture location, amodel of the vehicle, a body style of the vehicle, a type of vehicle, anengine type of the vehicle, a year of manufacture, and/or informationrelated to vehicle components (e.g., the battery). In other embodiments,the VIN 44 may be a two-dimensional code (e.g., a Quick Response (QR)code or another unique identifier) that may also be indicative of thebattery parameters (e.g., cold cranking amps (CCA), cranking amps (CA),and/or another battery rating) unique to the battery 12 of theparticular vehicle 10.

In any case, the VIN 44 may be positioned in an easily accessiblelocation of the vehicle 10. For example, in some embodiments, the VIN 44may be positioned on an inner surface of a driver's side door of thevehicle 10, such that a tester may easily view, access, scan, and/orphotograph the VIN 44 when the driver's side door is in an openposition. In other embodiments, the VIN 44 may be positioned on awindshield of the vehicle 10 or in another easily viewable and/oraccessible location of the vehicle 10, such that a tester may capturethe VIN 44 using the camera 42 of the battery test system 40. Asdiscussed in detail below, the battery test system 40 may be configuredto process (e.g., decode and/or decipher) the image of the captured VIN44 and utilize (e.g., store) battery parameters specific to the battery12 (e.g., CCA, CA, and/or another battery rating) determined from thecaptured image of the VIN 44.

In some embodiments, the battery test system 40 may include a VINdatabase 45 that is local and may enable the battery test system 40 todetermine the test parameters from the VIN 44 without communicating withan external device. In other embodiments, the battery test system 40 maybe coupled to an external computing device 48, which may include the VINdatabase 45. In still further embodiments, the external computing device48 and/or the battery test system 40 may be configured to wirelesslycommunicate with a server 50 (e.g., a second computing device or a“cloud”) that includes the VIN database 45. In any case, the batterytest system 40 may capture and process the VIN 44 from the vehicle 10and acquire test parameters via the VIN database 45 (e.g., comparing atleast one character of the VIN 44 to predetermined characters in the VINdatabase 45).

In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 2, the battery test system 40 alsoincludes a display 52. The display 52 may provide a visual output thatmay be viewed by the tester (e.g., the operator performing the batterytest). In certain embodiments, the display 52 may be a touch screen,such that the tester may manually input battery parameters, manuallycorrect battery parameters, or initiate a function of the battery testsystem 40 (e.g., the battery test), if desired. In other embodiments,the battery test system 40 may include a user interface 53 separate fromthe display 52, where the user interface 53 may enable the tester tomanually input parameters and/or initiate a function (e.g., the batterytest). For example, the user interface 53 (e.g., separate from thedisplay 52) may include one or more buttons, knobs and/or other manualcontrol devices.

Additionally, the battery test system 40 may include a first couplingfeature 54 and a second coupling feature 56 that may be used toestablish communication between the battery test system 40 and thebattery 12. For example, the first coupling feature 54 may beelectrically coupled to a first terminal 58 (e.g., a positive terminal)of the battery 12, and the second coupling feature 56 may beelectrically coupled to a second terminal 60 (e.g., a negative terminal)of the battery 12. In certain embodiments, the first and/or secondcoupling features 54, 56 may include cables coupled to the battery testsystem 40 on a first end and coupled to a respective battery terminal 58and/or 60 on a second end. The second end of the cable may terminate ina clamp that enables a removable connection between the battery testsystem 40 and the respective battery terminal 58, 60. The battery testsystem 40 may include a battery tester, which may include circuitry andother components that may enable the battery test system 40 to determinea status (e.g., battery test results) of the battery 12 by measuring avoltage, resistance, capacity, rating, and/or other parameters of thebattery, for example.

In order to capture, process, store, and/or determine information fromthe VIN 44, the battery test system 40 may include several components.For example, FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the batterytest system 40 in accordance with present embodiments. In theillustrated embodiment of FIG. 3, the battery test system 40 includes acasing 68 that may house a tangible, non-transitory computer readablemedium 70 (e.g., memory circuitry and/or memory). Additionally, in someembodiments, the camera 42 may be at least partially disposed in thecasing 68. The memory 70 may store a battery test management system 72implemented as one or more sets of instructions (e.g.,processor-executable instructions for performing a test). Additionally,in certain embodiments, the memory circuitry 70 may include a VINdatabase 73 (e.g., a local database) that may be used to determinevehicle and/or battery information associated with the VIN 44 capturedfrom the vehicle 10. The battery test system 40 also includes one ormore processors or processing circuitry 74 configured to execute theinstructions included in the battery test management system 72 toperform certain routines and/or battery tests, among other functions.For example, the camera 42 may capture an image of the VIN 44 (or aportion of the VIN 44), which may be processed utilizing instructions ofthe battery test management system 72. In some embodiments, theinstructions of the battery test management system 72 may be configuredto perform optical character recognition (OCR). Accordingly, the batterytest system 40 may convert an image of the VIN 44 (or a portion of theVIN 44) into machine-readable text (or another format that may beprocessed by a computing device) that may be utilized to determine oneor more parameters for the battery test.

Once the associated image is processed (e.g., the characters of the VIN44 are converted into machine-readable text), the VIN 44 may beprocessed (e.g., decoded and/or deciphered) using the VIN database 73 todetermine information about the vehicle 10 and/or the battery 12, suchthat battery parameters may be acquired. It should be noted that, inother embodiments, the VIN database 73 may be external to the batterytest system 40 (e.g., FIG. 4). In still further embodiments, the batterytest system 40 may include a wireless communication device that may beconfigured to wirelessly communicate (e.g., via the Internet and/or acellular network) with the VIN database 73 located on an external device(e.g., a server and/or a “cloud”).

In certain embodiments, the one or more processors 74 may include one ormore application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), one or more fieldprogrammable gate arrays (FPGAs), one or more general purposeprocessors, or any combination thereof. Additionally, the memorycircuitry 70 may include volatile memory, such as random access memory(RAM), and/or non-volatile memory, such as read-only memory (ROM),optical drives, hard disc drives, or solid-state drives.

As discussed above, the battery test management system 72 may includecertain sets of instructions that, when executed by the one or moreprocessors 74, are configured to perform a battery test and determine acondition (e.g., battery test results) of the battery 12 (e.g., thebattery test management system 72 may include the battery tester). Incertain embodiments, the battery test management system 72 may be agroup of processor-executable instructions produced in any appropriateprogramming platform, such as C++, Matlab, and so forth. The batterytest management system 72 may be constructed, in some embodiments, toautomatically run some or all routines associated with determiningbattery parameters and/or performing the battery test. For example, thebattery test management system 72 may be configured to retrieve batteryparameters when an image of the VIN 44 (or a portion of the VIN 44) iscaptured, automatically input the battery parameters, and/or run thebattery test. Accordingly, the camera 42 may be coupled to the one ormore processors 74 and/or the memory 70 such that images captured by thecamera 42 may be processed and utilized to input the battery parameters.

The battery test system 40 may also include the user interface 53, whichmay include one or more devices communicatively coupled to the memory 70and processor 74 to enable a user to provide input to the battery testsystem 40 and to enable the battery test system 40 to provide outputs tothe user (e.g., via the display 52). The user interface 53 may enable auser or operator to manually input information via a keyboard, a touchscreen, a keypad, and/or a microphone, for example. The manually entereddata (e.g., battery parameters), may be utilized to generally controlone or more aspects of the battery test management system 72 (e.g.,initiate testing of a battery, initiate display of test outcome, and/orinitiate validation). The user interface 53 may also provideuser-perceivable indications relating to the operation of the batterytest system 40, and more specifically provide outputs to the userrelated to the battery test results. For example, the user interface 53may include the display 52, which is configured to visually presentinformation to the tester (e.g., battery parameters and/or battery testresults). Outputs generated by the battery test management system 72 maybe shown on the display 52. For example, the display 52 may beconfigured to display the VIN 44 (or portion of the VIN 44) upon captureby the camera 42, display battery parameters for a tester to inspectprior to running the battery tests, and/or display a condition of thebattery 12 when the battery test is complete (e.g., battery testresults). Additionally or alternatively, the user interface 53 mayinclude one or more acoustic devices (e.g., speakers) configured toprovide user-audible outputs relating to these aspects.

The battery test system 40 may also include a communication system 78that enables the battery test system 40 to communicate with otherdevices, such as the battery 12 and/or an external computing device. Forexample, the communication system 78 may include the first and secondcoupling features 54 and 56 that enable the battery test system 40 to becoupled to the first and second terminals 58, 60 of the battery 12(e.g., the communication system 78 may coupled to the battery testmanagement system 72 to form the battery tester). The communicationsystem 78 (and/or the first and second coupling features 54, 56) mayinclude voltage sensors, current sensors, a load circuit or loadconnectors, interface features configured to enable test data to beprovided to other devices and/or users, and so forth. In someembodiments, the battery test system 40 may include a variety ofhardware devices and, in some embodiments, associated code (e.g.,drivers) stored on the memory 70 to enable the processor 74 to processinputs received at the communication system 78. Example hardware devicesmay include wireless transmission and receiving equipment (e.g.,transceivers), general purpose ports (e.g., ports for networkingconnectors), special purpose ports (e.g., ports for battery testequipment), and so forth. Additionally, the communication system 78 mayinclude a wireless communication device that may be configured towirelessly communicate (e.g., via the Internet or a cellular network)with an external computing device that includes the VIN database 73.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the battery test system 40that utilizes an external VIN database 73 (as compared to the local VINdatabase 73 shown in the embodiment of FIG. 3). In certain embodiments,the battery test system 40 may include one or more interfaces 100 (e.g.,wired or wireless interfaces) that may enable a connection between thebattery test system 40 and the external computing device 48. Theexternal computing device 48 may be a general purpose computer thatincludes the VIN database 73 (e.g., saved and/or stored on a memory ofthe computing device 102). Accordingly, in some embodiments, theexternal computing device 48 may receive the image of the VIN 44 (orportion of the VIN 44) and process the image to determine the characters(e.g., letters and numerals) of the VIN 44. The external computingdevice 48 may also compare the processed VIN 44 to the VIN database 73to determine information pertaining to the vehicle 10 and/or the battery12. In other embodiments, the battery test system 40 may be configuredto process the VIN 44 before a signal is sent to the external computingdevice 48.

In some embodiments, the VIN database 73 may not be located on theexternal computing device 48. For example, the VIN database 73 may bestored on the server 50. The external computing device 48 may beconfigured to communicate with the server 50 (e.g., via a wiredconnection and/or a wireless connection). Storing the VIN database 73 onthe server 50 may enable the VIN database 73 to be continuously updatedsuch that the VIN 44 of vehicles purchased relatively recently may beidentified.

The display 52 may show a series of messages that indicate to the testera progress of the battery test and/or prompt the tester to initiate afunction (e.g., take a picture of the VIN 44). For example, FIG. 5 is ablock diagram of a flow chart 120 of embodiments of messages that may bedisplayed by the battery test system 40. At block 122, the battery testsystem 40 may prompt the tester to direct a lens of the camera 42 towardthe VIN 44 of the vehicle 10. As discussed above, the VIN 44 may bepositioned in an accessible location of the vehicle 10, such that thetester may easily place the camera 42 proximate to (e.g., within 1 footof) the VIN 44. In some embodiments, the tester may press a button 124on the display 52 to capture the image of the VIN 44 (or a portion ofthe VIN 44). The button 124 may be an image on a touch screen or abutton that the tester may manually depress to trigger the camera 42 tocapture the image of the VIN 44. In other embodiments, the battery testsystem 40 may be configured to recognize the VIN 44 when the lens of thecamera 42 is directed at the VIN 44 and automatically acquire the imageof the VIN 44.

When the image of the VIN 44 has been captured, the display 52 may beconfigured to display a message indicating that the image has been takensuccessfully and/or display a copy of the image to the tester, as shownin block 126. In some embodiments, the battery test system 40 may promptthe tester to recapture the image of the VIN 44 when the captured imageis insufficient for the processor 74 to recognize and process (e.g.,decipher or decode) the characters of the VIN 44. In such cases, thebattery test system 40 may return to block 122 to enable the tester toretake a picture of the VIN 44 (or a portion of the VIN 44).

When the image of the VIN 44 is sufficient, the battery test system 40may process the image to determine the individual characters (e.g.,letters and/or numerals) included in the VIN 44 (or the portion of theVIN 44), as shown in block 128. Additionally, the display 52 may showthe image of the VIN 44 and the machine-readable text (or another formatthat may be processed by a computing device) associated with thecharacters of the VIN 44 (e.g., received from the processor 74). In suchembodiments, the tester may be prompted to verify that themachine-readable text (or another format that may be processed by acomputing device) acquired by the battery test system 40 matches thecharacters of the VIN 44.

In some embodiments, the battery test system 40 may be configured tofurther compare the characters of the VIN 44 to characters and/or VINsincluded in the VIN database 73 (e.g., a local VIN database stored inthe memory 70 or an external VIN database). Accordingly, the batterytest system 40 may determine information about the vehicle 10 and/or thebattery 12 (e.g., battery parameters) when it matches the VIN 44 (orcharacters of the VIN 44) to a corresponding VIN (or characters of aVIN) in the VIN database 73. In some embodiments, the VIN database 73may be configured to associate one or more characters of the VIN 44 witha particular aspect of the vehicle 10. For example, the first characteror a first set of characters may represent the vehicle manufacturer, thesecond character or second set of characters may represent a secondvehicle attribute, and so forth. In such embodiments, the VIN database73 may associate characters of the VIN 44 with particular vehicleparameters and/or battery parameters (e.g., decode or decipher the VIN44). In other embodiments, the VIN database 73 may include a pluralityof VINs as well information regarding each vehicle 10 associated with aparticular VIN. Therefore, the battery test system 40 may match thecharacters of the VIN 44 to a VIN of the database to acquire the vehicleand/or battery information associated with that VIN 44. Additionally, insome embodiments, when the machine-readable text of the VIN 44 does notmatch the characters of the VIN 44, the battery test system 40 may beconfigured to compare the image of the VIN 44 to the VIN database 73 (oranother database) that may include images of other VINs. Accordingly,the image of the VIN 44 may be compared to a plurality of images of VINsthat include corresponding vehicle and/or battery information, such thatthe battery parameters for the battery 12 may be acquired.

When the battery test system 40 has determined the vehicle informationand/or battery parameters, the display 52 may show the information tothe tester for verification, as shown in block 130. In certainembodiments, the display 52 may show a manufacturer of the vehicle(e.g., make), a manufacture location, a model of the vehicle, a bodystyle of the vehicle, a type of vehicle, an engine type of the vehicle,a year of manufacture, and/or information related to vehicle components(e.g., the battery). The tester may correct any information that may beincorrect. For example, the tester may notice that one or more of theparameters automatically entered are incorrect, and thus, the tester maymanually override the incorrect information using the user interface 53.In some embodiments, the tester may process the VIN 44 a second timeupon determination that one or more of the automatically enteredparameters are incorrect. In certain embodiments, the tester may press asecond button (not shown) to verify that information is accurate.

When the vehicle information and/or the battery parameters have beenverified, the tester may direct the battery test system 40 to begin totest the battery 12 (e.g., using the battery tester). In someembodiments, identifying information may be input (or a manual bypassmay be performed) before testing can proceed (e.g., a test cannot be rununtil identifying information has been collected). In the illustratedembodiment, at block 132 the battery test system 40 may prompt thetester to begin the test. Before beginning the test, the tester mayconnect the communication system 78 (e.g., the first and second couplingfeatures 54 and 56) to the battery 12 (e.g., the terminals 58, 60). Insome embodiments, the battery test system 40 may be configured toperform a preliminary detection of an electrical connection with thebattery 12 to ensure that the battery test will be conducted accurately.Accordingly, the battery test system 40 may be configured to determinewhether the battery 12 is operating sufficiently by performing the testand comparing the battery parameters acquired from the VIN 44 to batterytest results.

While the test is being performed by the battery tester, the batterytest system 40 may display a message indicating that the test is beingperformed and informing the tester that the test is running (e.g., amessage stating “Conducting Battery Test, Please Wait”), as shown inblock 134. When the battery test is complete, the display 52 may beconfigured to show the results of the battery test and/or the batteryparameters, as shown in block 136. For example, the battery test resultsmay include a measured battery rating (e.g., cold cranking amps (CCA)and/or cranking amps (CA)) of the battery 12. Additionally, apredetermined battery rating (e.g., cold cranking amps (CCA) and/orcranking amps (CA)) may be a battery parameter of the battery parametersdetermined from the VIN 44 or based on the battery parameters determinedfrom the VIN 44. Therefore, the battery test system 40 may display boththe battery parameters (e.g., the predetermined battery rating) and thebattery test results (e.g., the measured battery rating) such that thetester may compare the two numbers and assess whether the measuredbattery rating suggests that a new battery should be installed.

Additionally, in some embodiments, the battery test system 40 may beconfigured to compare the battery test results to results achieved byvehicles with similar VINs. The camera 42 may capture the image of theVIN 44, thereby providing the characters of the VIN 44 inmachine-readable text (or another format that may be processed by acomputing device). The processor 74 may utilize the VIN database 73 toretrieve battery test results performed on batteries of vehicles withVINs similar to the VIN 44 (or portion of the VIN 44) captured by thecamera 42. Accordingly, the battery test system 40 may enable the testerto compare the results of the battery test to parameters determined byan original equipment manufacturer (e.g., the battery parameters) aswell as to results acquired from tests run on similar batteries.

In order to perform the functions described above, the one or moreprocessors 74 (and/or a processor of the computing device 102) may beconfigured to perform instructions stored on the battery test managementsystem 72. For example, FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a method 150 thatmay be performed (e.g., by the one or more processors 74 and/or aprocessor of the external computing device 48) to collect batteryparameters and conduct the battery test to determine a condition of thebattery 12 (e.g., battery test results). At block 152, the camera 42 maybe configured to capture an image of the VIN 44 of the vehicle 10. Asdiscussed above, the tester may position a lens of the camera 42proximate to the VIN 44 to capture the image, which may be reproduced onthe display 52 of the battery test system 40.

At block 154, the one or more processors 74 (and/or the processor of theexternal computing device 48) may process the image of the VIN 44 (orportion of the VIN 44) to acquire one or more characters (e.g., lettersand/or numerals). For example, the one or more processors 74 may beconfigured to detect and/or recognize the characters of the VIN 44 fromthe image. As discussed above, the battery test management system 72 mayinclude instructions configured to perform optical character recognition(OCR) such that the image of the VIN 44 may be converted intomachine-readable text (or another format that may be processed by acomputing device). Accordingly, at block 156, the one or more processors74 (and/or the processor of the external computing device 48) maycompare the characters of the VIN 44 to the VIN database 73. Asdiscussed above, the VIN database 73 may include vehicle informationand/or battery parameters associated with all or a portion of thecharacters. Therefore, the characters of the VIN 44 may be matched tothose in the VIN database 73 to determine the battery parameters, asshown in block 158. For example, the characters of the VIN 44 may enablethe one or more processors 74 (and/or the process of the externalcomputing device 48) to determine a predetermined battery rating (e.g.,one of the battery parameters), as shown in block 160. In someembodiments, one or more of the characters of the VIN 44 may be relatedto the battery 12, thereby enabling the one or more processors 74 todetermine the predetermined battery rating for the particular battery 12being tested. In other embodiments, the characters 46 of the VIN 44 maydirectly correspond to the predetermined battery rating.

In some embodiments, the battery test system 40 may block the batterytest from being initiated until the battery parameters are acquired andverified by the testers. Additionally, the battery test system 40 may beconfigured to provide a confidence level determination (e.g., based on aquality of the image of the VIN 44 and/or other parameters) indicativeof an accuracy of the collected battery parameters. The tester may beprompted to re-take an image of the VIN 44 if the confidence level isbelow a threshold level (e.g., below 50%). In some embodiments, thetester may perform a manual override to initiate the battery test evenwhen some or all of the battery parameters are missing or include a lowconfidence level.

At block 162, the battery test system 40 may conduct the battery test todetermine battery test results, which may include the measured batteryrating. As discussed above, the battery test system 40 may be coupled tothe battery 12 (e.g., the first and second battery terminals 58, 60)with the communication system 78 (e.g., the first and second couplingfeatures 54 and 56). Accordingly, the battery tester may determine thebattery test results (e.g., the measured battery rating, cold crankingamps, cranking amps, or another battery rating) based on informationreceived from the battery 12. Accordingly, at block 164, the batterytest system 40 may display the battery parameters (e.g., thepredetermined battery rating) and the battery test results (e.g., themeasured battery rating) such that the tester (or the vehicle owner) maycompare the values and determine whether a new battery should bepurchased and/or installed. Additionally, in some embodiments, thebattery test system 40 may be configured to compare the batteryparameters to the battery test results and provide the tester with anindication of the state of the battery 12. Further, the battery testsystem 40 may provide a recommendation as to whether the battery 12should be replaced. The battery parameters (e.g., the measured batteryrating) and the battery test results (e.g., the predetermined batteryrating) are accurate and are determined quickly because the batteryparameters are automatically input into the battery test system 40 basedat least on the captured image of the VIN 44. Therefore, the tester mayperform more battery tests with enhanced efficiency.

One or more of the disclosed embodiments, alone or in combination, mayprovide one or more technical effects useful in testing batteries. Ingeneral, embodiments of the present disclosure include an enhancedbattery test system that includes a camera configured to capture animage of a VIN of a vehicle. The battery test system may be configuredto process the VIN and determine one or more battery parameters based onthe VIN and the battery associated with the VIN and/or accumulated testdata related to a category associated with the VIN (e.g., boat battery).Acquiring the battery parameters in such a manner may enable a fasterand more accurate comparison between the battery parameters and thebattery test results because the tester may not physically access thebattery and/or manually enter battery parameters. Further, more usefuland contextual information may be provided. The technical effects andtechnical problems in the specification are exemplary and are notlimiting. It should be noted that the embodiments described in thespecification may have other technical effects and can solve othertechnical problems.

The specific embodiments described above have been shown by way ofexample, and it should be understood that these embodiments may besusceptible to various modifications and alternative forms. It should befurther understood that the claims are not intended to be limited to theparticular forms disclosed, but rather to cover all modifications,equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope ofthis disclosure.

1. A battery test system for a vehicle, comprising: a camera configuredto capture an image of a vehicle identification number located on thevehicle, the camera being coupled to a processor which determinescharacters of the vehicle identification number from the image of thecamera and correlates the characters of the vehicle identificationnumber to a vehicle identification number database to receive batteryparameters for the vehicle; a battery tester that is removably connectedto terminals of a battery of the vehicle and configured to receivebattery test results; and a display which conveys information relatingto the battery parameters and the battery test results.
 2. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the battery parameters and the battery test results areshown on the display.
 3. The system for claim 1, wherein the batteryparameters and the battery test results are compared to provide anindication of a state of the battery.
 4. The system of claim 3, whereinthe comparison of the battery parameters and the battery test resultsprovides a recommendation as to whether the battery should be replaced.5. The system of claim 1, wherein the camera and the battery tester arecontained within a housing.
 6. The system of claim 5, wherein thevehicle identification number database is stored on a memory and thememory is further contained within the housing.
 7. The system of claim6, wherein the memory stores a battery test management system thatincludes a set of instructions to be performed by the processor.
 8. Thesystem of claim 5, wherein the vehicle identification number database isstored on a memory remote from the housing and connected to theprocessor by wireless transmission.
 9. The system of claim 8, whereinthe memory remote from the housing is configured to communicate with aserver to update the vehicle identification number database.
 10. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein a battery parameter of the battery parametersand a battery test result of the battery test results is cold crankingamps.
 11. The system of claim 1, wherein a battery parameter of thebattery parameters and a battery test result of the battery test resultsis cranking amps.
 12. The system of claim 1, wherein the battery of thevehicle has a positive terminal and a negative terminal, and the batterytester includes a first cable which terminates in a first clamp tocreate the removable connection to the positive terminal of the batteryand a second clamp to create the removable connection to the negativeterminal of the battery.
 13. The system of claim 1, comprising a userinterface configured to enable a tester to manually input the batteryparameters.
 14. The system of claim 1, wherein the vehicleidentification number database includes information linking a pluralityof vehicle identification numbers with one or more of a manufacturer ofthe vehicle, a manufacture location, a model of the vehicle, a bodystyle of the vehicle, a type of vehicle, an engine type of the vehicle,a year of manufacture, and the battery parameters.
 15. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the processor is configured to determine the charactersof the vehicle identification number from the image of the camera usingoptical character recognition.
 16. The system of claim 1, wherein thedisplay is configured to show the vehicle identification number.
 17. Thesystem of claim 1, comprising a wireless communication device configuredto communicate with an external computing device to provide updates tothe vehicle identification number database.
 18. A method of testing abattery for a vehicle, comprising: capturing an image of a vehicleidentification number of the vehicle using a camera; processing theimage of the vehicle identification number to determine characters ofthe vehicle identification number; comparing the characters of thevehicle identification number to a vehicle identification numberdatabase to determine battery parameters of the vehicle; testing thebattery to determine battery test results; and displaying the batterytest results and the battery parameters.
 19. The method of claim 18,wherein comparing the characters of the vehicle identification number tothe vehicle identification number database comprises associating acharacter from among the characters to a determine the batteryparameters.
 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the battery parametersinclude cold cranking amps, cranking amps, another battery rating, or acombination thereof.
 21. The method of claim 18, wherein capturing theimage of the vehicle identification number further comprises positioningthe camera to take an image of the vehicle identification number. 22.The method of claim 18, wherein testing the battery further comprisesconnecting a battery tester to the battery and receiving informationfrom the battery.
 23. The method of claim 22, wherein connecting thebattery tester to the battery comprises connecting a first cable of thebattery tester to a positive terminal of the battery and connecting asecond cable of the battery tester to a negative terminal of thebattery.
 24. The method of claim 18, wherein displaying the battery testresults and the battery parameters further comprises advising as towhether the battery should be replaced.
 25. The method of claim 18,wherein processing the image of the vehicle identification number todetermine characters of the vehicle identification number comprisesusing optical character recognition.